Index device



` March 4, 1930. J. H. RAND 1,749,229

INDEX DEVICE Filed May 24, 1924 l 2 Sheefbs-Shee-t l .57 .f2 Y @ya ,jg/7 f' .5.0 l L /g @if 2^ F3) 7 3 -f 2 65g 7 14 l, 1' 729 z5 i ZJJ 43 1.9 'f6 :f2 i .Y l 2.5 .7 n y 26 337 Y v4 9 l 79. 6 f77/06711507@ l ,l Z!- Jcw/@SH P03111/ M @MMM www.

J. H. RAND INDEX DEVI'GE March 4, 1930.

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Lek. n Q LIF A@ Patented Mar. 4, 1930 UNITEDV STATES PATENT; OFFICE;

JAMES H. RAND, OF NORTH TONAWANDA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE .ASSIGN- MENTS, TO REMINGTON RAND INC., I' NEW YORK, N. Y., A. CORPORATION OF DELAWARE INDEX DEVICE Application led May 24,

This inventionv relates to index cabinets having a plurality of superposed sections but more particularly to cabinets of that t pe 1n which there are sliding frames or s allow drawers containin index elements and consists in the novel eatures hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

One preferred embodiment of the mvention is illustrated in the accompanying drawinds in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front elevation of the cabinet showing one of the frames or drawers suspended in depending position; p Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken on lme 2-2 of Fig. 3

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and f Fig. 4 is a fragmentary top plan view 2o partly in section of one of the drawers and corresponding section.

Referring to thedrawings, the cabinet 1ncludes a top section l, a bottom section 2 and two intermediate sections. The top section 1 comprises a body portion 3 upon the lateral margins of which are welded or otherwise\ -suitably secured the channel-shaped side :walls 4. The u per end of the side walls 4 l are bent inwar y to form iianges 5 which extend parallel to the body portion 3 and the outer ends of the flanges 5' are bent downwardly at right-angles to form inner walls 6. The end walls 4 of the top section 1 are formed by bending the ends of the body 35 portion 3'k upwardly at right-angles. thereto,

thence inwardly to provide flanges 5'), and thence downwardly to form inner walls 6. Strips 7 are suitably fixed to the side walls 4 and are bent inwardly at 8 and downwardly at 9 to titfwithin the flanges 5 and the inner walls 6, as vshown in Fig. 2 and the lower ends of the strips 7 are bent inwardly to form supportin flanges 10 which extend parallel to thebo y portion 3.

55 A cover 11 is provided with depending 1924. serial mi. 715,612.

end walls 12 and side walls 13 and the side walls are bent inwardly at iight-angles to form an'ges 14 which rest against the supporting flanges 10 of the strips 7. The cover 11 is held within the top section 1 by the frictional engagement between the walls of the cover and the inner walls of the section. U-shaped strips 15 are suitably fixed to the end walls 4 and reinforce the ends of the top section 1 (Fig. 3). The U-shaped strips 15 provide stress-reducing sections for the top section in order to distribute and equalize stresses thereon to prevent deformation of the section.

The bottom section 2 comprises a body member 16l having side walls 17 which are suitably fixed to the under side of the body member. The side walls 17 are bent inwardly at right-angles to form iianges 18 (Fig. 2), and the flanges 18 areA bent4 upwardly to provide inner walls 19'which extend parallel to the walls 17. Theends of the body member 16 are bent downwardly at right-angles to form integral end walls 20 and the end walls are bent inwardly to provide flanges 21. The flanges 21 are bent upwardly to form inner walls 22 extending parallel to the end walls 20.

The intermediate index receiving sections are substantially alike and each comprises a body portion 23 bent upwardly at opposite margins to form integral side walls 24. The side walls 24 are bent inwardly at rightangles to form flanges 25 for supporting the sides of the superposed sections of the cabinet. The supporting flanges 25 are bent downwardly to provide inner walls 26 extending parallel to the side walls 24. The

.rear end ofthe body portion 23 is bent upwardly to form an integral end wall 27 which supports the inner ends of superposed cabinet sections. The forward end of the bottom member 23 is bent upwardly and inwardly to form a flange 28 providing a stop for a purpose hereinafter described,

In accordance with this 'invention meansv are provided to hold the various sections of the stack in proper relation to each otherand securely fasten them together. It is prefer- 5 abletliatindividual means be provided for each section to enable the size of the stack to be increased or diminished without detaching all the sections from each other. Wlre catches are employed in the form of sp1-mg arms 29 having Z-shaped hooks at one end and heads 30 at the other end. The hook end of each spring arm 29 is provided with a horizontal portion 31, a vertical portlon 32, and a horizontal end portion 33. The -catches are all similarly constructed with the exception of those within the top section l which are provided with a downwardly and outwardly bent head 3.01 to enable ready access to be obtained thereto after the cover 11 is removed.

The end portions 33 of the catches are first inserted into aligning holes 34 and 34 in the body portions of adjacent sections, and thereafter the catch is turnedto force the rlghtangle portion 32 int the holes so that the portion 33 bears against one of the sections. The springv arm 29 may 'then be sprung into the channel formed between the Ainner and outer walls of the section, such as the chan- 30 nels dened by the walls 17 and 19, and the walls 24 and 26, shown in Fig. 2. Preferably four catches are employed for each section, there being two on either side of ,the section, although the number may be varied as 'desired. When it is desired to increase or diminish the size of the stack, the top section is first removed after the catches have been disengaged, and thereafter sections may be added or removed as desired."

Index supporting frames or drawers are slidable in the sections and each drawer comprises a bottom member 35 formed with integral side walls 36 and an integral front wall 37. An opening 38 is formed in the front wall 37 by llanging or bending the material inwardly toenable the drawers to be readily pulled out from the respective sections. A strip 39 is suitably fixed to the rear end ot the base member 35 and is formed with a hooked en'd portion 40 which serves as an abutment yto cooperate with the stop 28 on the intermediate sections, so that the drawers may be pulled out and suspended in a depending position, as shown in Fig. 1, thus presenting the index elements within the drawer in a convenient position for inspection or other use. Obviously the drawers may be withdrawn completely from the cabinet if desired by lifting their rear ends Vwhen almost ex tended to 'disengagethe strip 39 from the stop 28. l

The upper edges ofthe side wall 36 of the drawers are bent inwardly at right-angles to form ila s 4 1 to which L-shaped strips 42 vare suitab y fixed. A vseries of independent index elements 43 in the form of cards are arranged within each of the drawers 35 and have overlapping margins 44 upon which suitable indicia may beinscribed. The index vcards are secured within the frames in any' suitable manner as for example by the rails 45 vwhich are held between the strips 42 and the, base member 35 which define therebetween channels upon op osite sides of the frame furnishing relative y narrow elongate guide slots for the ends of the index cards.

In order to hold the margins of the index l cards in substantially the same longitudinal plane an inclined supporting plate 46 is formed with an integral depending flange 47 at one end thereof and the opposite end bears against the body portion 35 of the drawers. A depressed portion 48 of thesupporting plate is conveniently connected .to av struck portion 49 on the body member by a rivet 50. Owing to the inclination of the supporting plates46 toward the inner end of the drawers the margins of the outer cards are held away fromthe bottom of the drawers `thus presenting them in plain view for inspection, and also permitting more convenient handling thereof.

The forward edge of the plate 46 is cut away at 51 to permit one or more fingers to vbe inserted through the opening 38 in the 'drawer so that the drawers may be conveniently pulled out from their respective sections and also to enable the cards adjacent thereto to be readily grasped. The front wall of each frame may be provided with an index slip 52 in which is a slip 53 bearin anyv indicia indicative of the contents of the rame.

The construction of the cabinet enables it to be expanded to any reasonable extent by means o the spring catches and although it is preferable that the cabinet be constructed disposed and comprising a sheet' metal body having side and end walls, laterally and in-A wardly extending flanges at the upper and lower edges of said walls the upper flanges terminatmg in 'downwardly extending portions defining a cover receiving opening, and c stress reducln members extending transversely of sai body and embraced by said flanges and the downwardly extending por tions.

2. An index device, comprising a cabinet havin one o sections. formmg atop section,

:z lurality of superposed sections, sal

'iso

said top sectionbeing normally horizontally disposed and comprising a sheet metal body having side and end walls, laterally and inwardly extending flan es at the upper and lower edges of said wa s, the upper ianges 

